Rumors!
by Mintt
Summary: “Extra! Extra! The Domino High Rumor Mill newsletter has all your latest news about our new starcrossed lovedoves: Seto Kaiba and Anzu Mazaki! Get the latest buzz about their blossoming love hot off our presses!” ...What silly joke is this? [SA] [AU]
1. The 'Epic Romance' Begins

**Rumors!**

"Extra! Extra! The Domino High Rumor Mill newsletter has all your latest news about our new star-crossed love-doves: Seto Kaiba and Anzu Mazaki! Get the latest buzz about their blossoming love hot off our presses!" …What silly joke is this? (S/A) (AU)

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. (applies to all chapters.)

Chapter One: The "Epic Romance" Begins

Seto Kaiba never liked High School.

He didn't like the grimy floors and rusty lockers or any other physical aspect of the school building. And most of all he hated the people he had to go to high school with. The teachers were all stupid and overpaid fools. The students were all brainwashed, mindless idiots whose only purpose was to serve as obstacles in the hallway.

School was merely a waste of time for him! He was a powerful and very successful CEO! Not some ridiculous _student_ bred to be taught by dimwits or to mingle and breathe the same air as such undeserving and ignorant _peers_.

Seto was in a slightly better mood that day as he was leaving the school halls. It was finally the end of May, nearing on the final days of schooling for him. After only a few more days of torments, some ridiculous prom that he could skip and a few ceremonies and whatnot, he would be free!

He exited the school grounds well before anyone else, having been excused from most of the standard ending blocks due to his considerable influence over the principal. He could finally get back home and get to more important things, like work and management.

However, as he was exiting, two giggly girls were also evidently skipping class as they roamed through the hall in front of him.

"So, anyways, I heard that Annie is showing some added weight, and she had to see the nurse twice last week! Can you say baby-time?" one of the girls hissed through her thin lips, although her scathing voice echoed in the halls.

The other girl giggled. "I'm not surprised. She's such a slut! And I noticed the creepy overnight janitor looking at her once. Can you imagine? They'd be perfect for each other, because she's so _trashy_." The girls erupted in fits of laughter, obviously delighted at their wit.

Seto growled beneath his breath. Another thing he hated about high school? The ridiculous rumors. It seemed that giggly girls were abound everywhere in the school.

The girls continued their laughter, as Seto raced down the hall and closer to that beckoning open doorway. "Can you believe what I read about in the _Rumor Mill_ today?" one of them asked.

Seto inwardly groaned. Nothing in the school was as ridiculous and ludicrous as the daily and anonymous publication, the _Rumor Mill._ It had started about a year ago and had become a huge hit. People loved to read the catty remarks about all the daily rumors that were floating around Domino High. Hook-ups, break-ups and any sort of relationship was brutally put into ink. Any hint of misdoing, or fault was eagerly read over in the neat columns.

It wasn't just the students who were under the radar, however. There was a daily "Teacher Trouble!" public safety announcement in the _Mill_ that reported which Teachers were doing what in the staff room, or whether Mr. Marloes was grumpy and giving detentions easily because it was "that time of month…".

Most people loved the _Rumor Mill_. That was, unless they were in it. Many of the hapless victims tried helplessly to find the culprit behind the print, and teachers issued warnings and bans to the students, but still the _Mill_ continued to run, with its colorful flyers turning up at random places for eager students to read.

The girls were still gossiping. "…and Anzu Mazaki is _such _a player! Did you read that column today?"

Seto paused slightly. He knew of Anzu Mazaki, one of his few classmates he actually could say he knew, although only in the slightest. She had helped his younger brother, Mokuba, once. He was really grateful for that, but still she was a part of the unforgivable Yugi's Dork Club and Seto basically ignored her.

However, his ears perked up slightly at the mention of her name, and he listened carefully as the girls continued their chatter. "…So anyways it says in the _Mill_ that she's been playing all the guys."

"That's not all," the other girl continued, "no one knows who she's dating. I mean, the _Mill_ lists potential boy-toys as Yugi, Yami, Tristan, Joey, Ryo and now, it's apparently Seto Kaiba! She's such a tramp!

Seto had heard enough. The faculty left him alone. The students left him alone. Now he was a part of some silly rumor as Anzu's potential _boy-toy_?! The thought left him infuriated.

He forgot about his escape and harshly turned back on his heels and headed back into school. He had to get a hand on one of those flyers and see if the girls were telling the truth.

It wasn't hard to find one of the small newsletters carefully pinned onto the door to the girls' washroom and Seto quickly tore it down. Looking around to see if anyone had caught him in the act of wanting to read the flyer, he quickly walked out the nearest door and towards his waiting car.

Sitting in the back seat, he began to read. He skimmed the outrageous headlines before he finally found the little sidenote.

----

_The Rumor Mill has also the latest reports in the love life of Anzu Mazaki._

_Miss Mazaki has long since been linked with the many men she refers to as her "friends", but the Rumor Mill and our faithful readers know that it is a thin line between friendship and indecent lovin'. _

_But recent reports list our boy-crazy Miss Mazaki as being in a new relationship, with none other than school ice-block Seto Kaiba! Yes, you heard it first, hot off the press here at the Rumor Mill!_

_Miss Mazaki and Mr. Kaiba apparently already have a pretty cozy relationship, as she seems to have aided his younger brother before. And our very diligent sources have reported a growing mutual attraction between the love-struck lovebirds! _

_More in next issue, but we here at the Rumor Mill wish both lovers the best of their star-crossed journey, and happy springtime, as a young man's fancy turn's into love!_

_---- _

Seto sputtered in the backseat of his car. "ice-block" ?? "cozy relationship" ?! "love-struck lovebirds" ...?!?!?

He couldn't believe it. He was angry, embarrassed and slightly intrigued at the same time. How did such "diligent sources" come up to report this junk, and really, why choose to write about him and Anzu Mazaki?

It was downright embarrassing, tarnishing towards his reputation and an outright ridiculous lie. He couldn't believe that someone would publish such filth! And about him, no doubt either! Who did they think they were? Seto wouldn't stand for this.

He was going to solve this nasty little rumor.

* * *

The next day Seto arrived at school in his usual way, although his mind was alive with thoughts of _the_ rumor. He had spent most of the last night just thinking about it. He couldn't stop, the very nature of the rumor was just bothering him terribly.

However, today he didn't just go straight to first block, but instead walked up the hallway and up towards a group of people. He narrowed his eyes as he saw their happy little gaggle and he cleared his throat noticeably as he neared.

"Ahem."

Joey turned around and scowled when he saw him. The two had never had an amiable relationship. "What are you doing here Kaiba?" he growled. Seto noticed that it was awfully like a mutt's.

Seto looked steely at each of them before finally announcing, "I need to speak with Anzu."

Anzu looked quizzically at her friends before exiting out of her little group. Everyone was silent as they watched them depart.

"What do you want?" Anzu asked when they were out of ear-shot.

Seto held up the flyer and growled, "Do you have anything to do with this?"

Anzu raised an eyebrow and took the flimsy piece of paper that was worn from Seto looking over it too many times. She flipped through the headlines and stopped at the malicious little sidenote.

Seto watched her read. He watched as her face flushed, first from embarrassment and then anger. Her eyes widened and her fists clenched and Seto could see the pupils of her eyes darken as she finally handed the flyer back to him.

Seto asked, "So you didn't know about this before?"

Anzu shook her head. "No. I mean, I stopped reading this garbage after they printed some ridiculous article about how I was living with Yugi, and yet somehow expecting twins with Ryo AND how I was married in some three-way ritualistic marriage to both Tristan and Joey." She paused and saw the worry stretched across Seto's face. "Don't think twice about it, Seto. I know this is entirely junk, or some idiot's overactive imagination. Besides, people realize that most of the stuff in here is just trash."

"But how did someone even think of this?" Seto demanded.

Anzu shrugged and ran her fingers across her forehead in a tired manner. "I don't know. Really, I'd rather not think of it, and you should just let it go as some silly joke."

She picked up the flyer from out of Seto's hands and dropped it into the nearest garbage bin. "Just forget about it." She repeated before walking away to rejoin her friends.

* * *

Seto tried to take Anzu's advice and just forget about the silly rumor, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. It infected his mind like a parasite and he found himself drifting out of focus just to think about it. 

When he got out of school that day, he couldn't resist picking up a copy of the _Rumor Mill_ in front of the library, before the teachers suppressed the circulation and threw them away. Like a little boy with his hand inside of the cookie jar, he once more ran to the privacy of his car before daring to glance at the paper.

It was on the front page.

There was a black and white image of him and Anzu, sharing the conversation that they had that morning. They were looking at each other, and someone had crudely taken a Sharpie pen and drawn a messy heart around their bodies.

Below, lay the article,

----

_SETO & ANZU: LOVE CONFIRMED!!_

_Well, loyal followers, their epic romance has been confirmed, as seen in this above photo! Zuu-Zuu [as he affectionately calls her and Baa-Baa [her equally adorably nickname were seen this morning sharing a tender moment by the computer lab._

_Obviously a bit upset that their supposed close, warm and very secretive relationship has been leaked, they share a mesmerizing glance with each other. Caught in each others eyes, as we can see, and obviously hooked on their love!_

_Whilst we must apologize to our love-doves for exposing their very personal connection, we cannot help but share it as hope for the loveless, for right here, in our very halls, young love is blossoming! _

_The besotted couple is currently still denying their relationship and trying to hide their puppy love for each other, but the Rumor Mill must share their romantic story, for who can resist such a sweet story? _

_We wish Miss Mazaki and Mr. Kaiba the best of their blooming relationship, and hope that they learn that they can share their overwhelming love and open their hearts._

_Good luck Baa-Baa and Zuu-Zuu!_

_----_

"Baa-Baa" finished reading the story and died.

* * *

A/N : Well, I should be working on something else, but this idea just wedged itself in my head and I had to get it out. It was awfully fun writing the Rumor Mill articles!

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and the idea.

Please leave a review! I love to get feedback.

MINTT.


	2. The 'Lovebirds' Discuss

Chapter Two: The "Love-birds" Discuss

After Seto had managed to get back his breath, he shouted to his driver, "turn back! We're going back to the school!"

The driver didn't give a second thought as he just turned around and started heading back to the school. Seto growled deeply from the backseat as he tapped his fingers impatiently on the leather.

He was furious. He was beyond furious. He was starving for revenge, to somehow once more take control of this entire situation. How did someone get off by inserting him inside of their sick romantic fantasy? It made Seto furious. And everything was being turned into something that it wasn't.

The car ground to a halt in front of the school and Seto leapt out. "Wait here," he instructed, "I'll be back soon." He forcefully began to walk back towards the school, his feet hard as he climbed back through those hated doors. There would be hell to pay today.

The bell still hadn't run to dismiss the students from class and Seto was glad for the quiet in the hallways as he walked towards administration.

"Is Harmon in his office?" he barked as he approached a secretary on the phone. The woman gasped and hurriedly lowered the phone and glanced nervously at the door labeled "Harmon, Principal". She nodded nervously.

"I…I think so Mr. Kaiba." She managed to stammer before lowering her eyes and retreating into the safe conversation she was having.

Seto hurriedly brushed past her desk and opened the door to the principal's office. A middle-aged balding man looked up from his computer work. "Hey! What do you think…" he paused when he saw Seto standing in the doorway. "Oh, Kaiba." He said.

Seto could tell that Harmon didn't like him at all. It was evident from the first day that Seto had enrolled in the school, when Harmon had begrudgingly bowed down to his superior power and money, that the two would clash.

"I need to know something." Seto demanded as he walked up to Harmon's filled table.

Harmon clenched his jaw and stopped what he was doing, obviously upset that he would have to just for a student. "What is it?"

"Who publishes this garbage?" Seto asked as he slapped the _Rumor Mill_ onto the table. Harmon startled a bit before fixing his reading glasses and looking onto the paper. He grimaced even further when he saw the first page.

He explained, "Domino High doesn't have anything to do with this publication. Actually, you should know that we are entirely against it, and we've been trying to put it off since the first day."

"But what do you know about it?!" Seto demanded. "You regulate this school, you should know everything that goes on within it!"

"I don't know!" Harmon said angrily. "You think if I did I would just let it run? Do you know how much slander they fill in those innocent looking pages?"

"Yes I do." Seto growled, while staring pointedly at the pages. Harmon tried to stifle a smile and Seto frowned deeply.

"I don't know anything about this _Rumor Mill_, but mostly I just try to ignore it." Harmon declared. "You should try too." It was a horribly disguised dismissal as Harmon returned to his task, casually shoving the small pamphlet into the wastebasket as he did so.

"Tell me if you hear anything." Was all Seto said before he stalked out. He hadn't expected the dimwit of a principal to know anything, but it was worth a shot. But nothing. Absolutely nothing about the mysterious publisher of _The Rumor Mill._

The bell had already rung and the halls were already crowded with rowdy students. Seto grimaced darkly as he faced the prospect of having to go back through those halls, especially after he had not accomplished anything.

He tried not to look at the disgusting crowds as he walked through the halls, but he couldn't help but hear the chatter.

"Aww! Look at this, Anzu and Seto! Aww!"

"I just knew it! They're written in the stars…"

"Oh! Here he comes. He kinda seems out of it…He's probably thinking of his lady-love! How adorable!" A few squeals followed that one.

Seto glared darkly in the general direction of the voices before continuing forward. However, as he rounded the corner he accidentally bumped into someone. Of all his cursed luck, and all the students at Domino High, it had to be Anzu.

She staggered slightly before looking up from the thing she was holding. It was the flyer, with the brazen picture of her and Seto flaunted on the cover.

"Seto!" she exclaimed before turning a brilliant and bright cherry red. She stammered slightly before just deciding to stare at her shoes. Seto could just have easily read her mind.

He looked around slightly, saw all those eager hungry eyes looking at them before he grabbed her hand and pulled her away. Anzu's face suddenly looked horrified as she stared at Seto. "What are you doing?" she hissed angrily as she tried to seem invisible. What was happening? Why was Seto Kaiba holding her hand and dragging her down the hall for every reader of _The_ _Rumor Mill_ to see!

"We need to talk."

"Do you know what this looks like?" Anzu demanded furiously.

Seto laughed grimly, "Well, does it matter anymore, _Zuu-Zuu? _Apparently we're halfway through our marriage laws by now."

Anzu scowled at the mention of her "pet-name" before blushing furiously again at the mention of their supposed "relationship."

"Look Seto, you might think of this as just something that can be turned into a funny joke, but really, I already think that this rumor has gone on for too long already."

Seto looked astounded as he suddenly just stopped. "You think I like this?" he asked in amazement.

Anzu answered gruffly, "well you do seem to enjoy the joke _Baa-Baa._**"**

Seto stared thunderbolts at her before finally saying quietly, and yet in a deadly voice, "don't ever call me that."

"Then don't call me _that!_" Anzu retorted. "That is the most ridiculous pet-name that anyone could ever think of? Who would think of such a ridiculous thing?"

"Someone with a pinecone for a brain ." Seto suggested.

Anzu sighed. "So why did you grab me, and where are we going?"

"Some place private." Seto explained. "I swear now that these walls have eyes." He looked suspiciously around him and the lockers looked innocently back.

"But there are people everywhere." Anzu counted, before shooting a glare to cause a curious freshman to run down the hall whilst glancing back dreamily.

"No one goes on the roof." Seto noted.

"We can't go there! That's off bounds!" Anzu exclaimed. "Do you know when last year some sophomores tried to get on to smoke pot or something, and the creepy janitor just came and threw them off? They had to go to the hospital and everything!"

"That," Seto said with just the slightest smile, "was just a rumor."

* * *

"Okay, so what do we do?" Anzu asked as she stared up at the sky. They were both walking back and forth as they thought of ways to put a stop to their ridicule. "This freak, whomever it is, seems to just drop off the flyers at random school spots throughout the day. How will we ever be able to catch them?"

"Maybe we won't have to." Seto suggested. He thought cautiously for awhile. "Maybe you could just get involved with someone else…"

Anzu groaned before stopping to look at Seto darkly. "Bad idea." She could just see the headline now: _Two-faced lying witch ditches broken Baa-Baa to run off with new lover! _

"Fine, then." Seto said crabbily. "What brilliant idea do you have?"

"Maybe we can just be truthful and just go out and publicly deny it." Anzu shrugged. "I mean, we're honest people, and really, I don't see how they could ever even think we were a couple."

"I know," Seto replied grimly, "it's quite disgusting really."

"Wrong." Anzu added.

"Crazy."

"Unbelievable."

"A farce."

"A horrible mistake."

"Insane!"

Anzu suddenly began to laugh, and she laughed so hard that she had to stop and sit on the hard floor, her face shining under the sunlight.

"What?" Seto said, although the absurdity of their situation tugged at the corners of his lips too.

"I can't believe this!" Anzu just began to laugh. "It's hysterical really! At first I was just so obsessed with the embarrassment, and I could get over it, but now, I just can't stop laughing! To think that some twit actually thinks that we could be a couple embarking on our "epic romance" and that most of the school would actually believe it!"

Seto kneeled down beside her. "It is a tad funny." He admitted.

Anzu nodded and stopped laughing. They were suddenly quiet as they just looked up, past the roofs of other buildings and straight up into the big, huge sky.

Anzu suddenly spoke, gesturing to the open and endless sky: "I guess anything is possible then."

Seto didn't know what to say. Was she suggesting that it was possible that they had a relationship? It was absolutely ridiculous! Wasn't it…?

"Shoot!" Anzu suddenly swore and hopped back to her feet. Seto quickly followed her example.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm late for my dance lesson! I entirely forgot that I had it rescheduled for this afternoon and now I'm going to have to run a gazillion blocks just to get there on time!" Anzu said as she began heading towards the door.

Seto paused as he turned the words over in his mouth. Finally he decided to say them. "I can give you a ride."

Anzu stopped, absolutely shocked at his proposal. "Are you serious?"

"…Yes."

"You're not afraid of what others will think? Of us being seen together?"

Seto said, "Well, you said it yourself. Anyone who actually believes the stupid rumor must be a twit, and really, I don't care much for the opinion of twits."

"Well said." Anzu grinned before heading down the stairs.

* * *

Anzu climbed uncomfortably into the backseat of Seto's limousine, her bookbags and dance gears hardly making it through the door before Seto climbed in after her in a rare gesture of gentlemanliness.

"Wow. This is really nice of you. Thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to me!" Anzu gushed as she stared at the luxury around her with wide eyes.

Seto merely nodded darkly, as if her somehow regretted his decision before asking, "Where's the studio?"

Anzu gave him the address which Seto forwarded to his chauffeur and the car set in motion. Besides for the soft hum of the moving road beneath them, the car was silent.

Anzu stared uncomfortably at her textbooks in her bookbag before trying to start a conversation. "So, uh…are you happy for the end of the school year?"

"Yes," Seto answered, although the thick scowl was still plastered on his face.

"I can't believe we're actually graduating."

Seto merely murmured something before looking out the window. The car smoothly stopped and Anzu saw the familiar outline of her dance studio.

Seto noted monotonously, "we've arrived."

Anzu nodded as she opened the door and stepped out of the car. "Thank you," she said back into the car moments before it automatically closed, "I'll see you tomor-" she stopped herself before she ended up talking to empty space as Seto sped away.

She sighed as she continued on towards her rehearsal, a little bit disappointed although she couldn't really think of why.

* * *

The next morning a bright pink poster was hung on the bulletin board of Domino High. It was carefully laminated and colored and had a huge crowd already gathered around it to read the latest news.

A huge photo of Seto and Anzu getting into his limousine was surrounded in rainbow-colored hearts. Below ran a large, bolded caption:

_THE RUMOR MILL has your exclusive on Domino High's favorite couple: SETO KAIBA AND ANZU MAZAKI!_

_Read today's issue for their latest frills and our hot spills! We have everything about their latest extravagant date, their secretive whisperings in the school hallways and their romantic and unbelievable proclamations of love to one another!_

_It's nearing summer and things are getting HOT! HOT! HOT! So look for the latest issue of THE RUMOR MILL out today, where you can support our very own star-couple!_

One of the readers turned to her friend. "What do you think they'll do when they see this?"

* * *

_NOTE: This story is pretty much just an impulse thing. I did have a storyboard and plotline all figured out but I just threw it out the window and therefore I'm just impulse writing now, with no direction. It's not a good way to write a story, but I'm working on a second storyboard._

_And thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I tried to give individual replies to everyone signed in, and thanks to the anonymous reviewers._

_Please tell me what you think! Have any ideas that I can impulsively grab and write into the story? Leave a review._

_MINTT_


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